


Shiver

by thescarletphoenixx



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Crossover, Crossover Pairings, F/M, Fall time, Mountains, One Shot, Romance, Team Bonding, Touch-Starved, fears, lycanthropy, smut if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 06:29:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21248951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thescarletphoenixx/pseuds/thescarletphoenixx
Summary: Lavender has a secret that no one knows. She doesn’t like the dark. She agreed to a secluded mountain retreat with her friends, but could it turn out to be just what she needed?





	Shiver

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DarkAngelOfSorrowReturns](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkAngelOfSorrowReturns/gifts).

> Written For Marvelously Magical FanFiction’s Something Wicked 2019 Fic Exchange
> 
> DarkAngelOfSorrowReturns, I hope you like the direction I took for your prompt! :)
> 
> Prompt XO 04: Character A never told a soul they were afraid of the dark and got away with it for years. That is, until Character B (and friends) decided they wanted to have a cabin bonding trip and the lights go out.
> 
> Many thanks to my amazing alpha and fandom bestie JenniseiBlack!
> 
> All non-original characters, plot points, and information belongs to Warner Brothers, J.K. Rowling, and/or Marvel Studios. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit.  
*My works and ideas are not to be copied or otherwise used without my explicit permission.*

Most people enjoyed mountain retreats. The fresh air, the peacefulness, the feeling of being away from civilization.. all the things that most people craved. Lavender Brown was not most people. It wasn’t that she didn’t like these things, it was just that Lavender was a special individual, and the sounds and scents of the wilderness, combined with the feeling of isolation, ignited a fire in her veins that she tried very hard to snuff out.

So how had she ended up somewhere she wasn’t entirely comfortable? Her job had brought her here. Lavender was a consulting member of the Avengers team and they were on a retreat. For “team building,” Tony Stark had said. She loved her work, being their link to the magical world. The Avengers were also among the few people who knew about her lycanthropy and didn’t look at her like she was some sort of contagious freak. They accepted her as she was, and for that she was truly grateful, since people like her were largely rejected in the magical community.

Being a female lycan was difficult, to say the least. The physical transformation was preventable, thanks to the advancements in potions, but her potion did nothing to calm her mind during the late stage of the cycle. Nights were the worst, she had nothing to focus her restless energy on, and the darkness wrapped around her like a thick blanket. For some, that might be a comfort, but for her, it was suffocating. The only thing Lavender feared as much as the full moon, was the darkness, when she was alone with her thoughts.

Most nights, Lavender could manage the darkness by keeping her room dimly lit with the soft glow of her Patronus. The majestic silver wolf watched over her until she fell asleep and the charm faded. But tonight, Lavender was particularly restless, being deep in the Adirondack Mountains. Not only that, but it was October and nearing the end of the cycle, the approach of the full moon. She knew she would be on edge the entire time, but she couldn’t say no. She didn’t want to disappoint her friends or miss out on spending time with them. She knew she needed to push herself in order to be better at dealing with obstacles. And if she was uneasy about the trip, she liked the idea of being alone at the compound even less. 

However, the arrival of 2 additional guests just after dinner, had thrown a wrench into things, and not just for her either. Now as she quietly listened to the ensuing argument, she almost wished she would have stayed behind. Thor had arrived, with his brother Loki in tow, and the team had not taken that lightly at all. She rubbed her temple. This disagreement wasn’t entirely unwarranted, but the tension was getting to her. Weary of it, she suddenly stood up, causing everyone to take pause.

“This is exhausting. I am going to make tea, does anyone else want a cup?” 

No one said anything right away, as if they needed to process the sudden change in subject. All eyes were on her until Loki spoke, at which point they all turned upon him with annoyance.

“I would very much like a cup of tea, thank you,” he said to her politely, ignoring the venomous stares.

“Excellent. Honestly, I’ll just bring the whole kettle, I think everyone could use some of it,” she said with a sigh.

Lavender made her way into the kitchen and set the kettle of water on the gas range. She could have made the tea easily with magic, but she wanted to take her time in the kitchen, and besides, she was adding in a calming potion at the end. Everyone needed it, herself included. By the time she’d finished the tea and placed the kettle and mugs onto a tray, they were arguing again. Not as fiercely as before, but arguing just the same. She sighed, and pulled her wand from her sweater sleeve. She flicked her wrist and levitated the tray, and with another flick of her wrist, the tray moved through the air before her, and she followed it back into the room.

The appearance of the tray in the air interrupted the argument, capturing the attention of both Asgardians. Lavender could feel Loki’s eyes on her, and Thor interrupted whatever point Tony was making, to exclaim,

“Magic! I didn’t realize Earth had witches!”

“Yes, Earth has witches,” she laughed as she lowered the tray onto the coffee table with her wand. “Now, I made enough tea for everyone, so please drink up.”

She didn’t wait for anyone to object, she simply waved her wand again and the kettle filled each mug with hot tea and floated them to each person in the room. Lavender settled into her seat on the end of one of the couches, sipped her tea, and waited for her potion to take effect. It didn’t take long. While she couldn’t blame them for being upset, given their history with Loki, she also couldn’t take the tension anymore, and knew they’d all feel better with their minds in a better state. She was right. 

While the team still wasn’t happy with Thor for bringing his brother along, he was able to get his point across and explain why he had brought him. Essentially, he was babysitting, since no one trusted Loki enough to leave him to his own devices. He had done both Earth and Asgard a great service by assisting Thor and Jane Foster in the defeat of the Dark Elves, so he had earned his way out of the dungeon, but Odin had bound his magic to Thor’s for the time being, so the two brothers had to travel together. The team appeared visibly better to find that Loki could not use his magic.

“And I have taken all of his weapons,” Thor stated confidently, to which Loki rolled his eyes.

“Well, now that we have settled things at least somewhat, could we continue with our evening?,” asked Tony.

Everyone supposed they could. Tony, as it turned out, was a great lover of horror movies, and had brought several for the weekend. Lavender was relieved to find that none of them featured werewolves. Not that she was sensitive about it around her friends, but the media portrayal was not favorable, and with new people present, she’d rather not have to steel herself through a bad werewolf film. They ended up choosing “A Nightmare On Elm Street.”

Lavender never had really been one for Muggle films, particularly the horror genre, but she conjured a large bowl of popcorn for everyone and she sat faithfully through it. Her only concern was the dying fire, that she’d been keeping an eye on. No one knew about her issue with the dark. The room was becoming darker and she was getting more restless as a result. It didn’t help that she seemed to have piqued Loki’s interest, and she fidgeted under the attention. Finally the movie was over. Most people seemed to have enjoyed it. Lavender was indifferent, too preoccupied with shadows. 

“Well, that was sufficiently horrible. Honestly, I don’t understand your kind at all.”

“Ha! Congratulations Loki, you’ve survived a horror movie,” said Clint.

Lavender went to tend to the fire, only to have Tony tell her to just let it burn down to the embers. She opted to light the candles on the mantle, hastily stating she would be up reading for a while. She really didn’t want to discuss her issue with the darkness, and she didn’t want to bother anyone with her Patronus either.

She gathered up the dishes as everyone started heading to their respective rooms. It didn’t take long for her to set up a simple spell that would wash, dry, and put away the dishes. When she returned from the kitchen, she was surprised to find the room was not empty, Loki was sitting on one couch with a book in his hand.

“Oh,” she said, “I didn’t expect to have company.”

“I’m not bothering you, am I?”

“No.. I just.. I’m usually used to solitude at night, is all.”

Surprisingly, she didn’t feel uncomfortable around him, although she supposed she should. She crossed the room to the wall of built-in shelves and selected a book. Muggle movies, she didn’t much care for, but Muggle fiction, she did enjoy. She settled back on her couch and grabbed the knit blanket from the back, to throw over her legs. With her wand, she tapped the mug she’d left out for herself and it refilled itself with tea. This caught Loki’s eye.

“Lavender, could I ask you about your magic?”

Surprised, she looked up at him. 

“Of course, what would you like to know?”

This sparked quite a lengthy conversation. He wanted to know why she had to use a wand to perform her magic, and she, in turn, wanted to know about his magic too. In the end, neither really got into the books they’d planned to read, and after a while, she’d moved to the other end of the couch, coming closer to show him a few spells. Things were going quite well, and Lavender felt quite relaxed, and that’s when it happened.

The wind had been picking up all evening and she’d paid it no mind, but all of a sudden, a particularly powerful gust blew a window open, which extinguished the candles instantly, plunging the room into complete darkness. Lavender didn’t even think, she just reacted. She cast the Patronus charm and her silver wolf came charging from her wand, bounding around the room before coming to a stop at her feet. She then cast a hasty spell to close and lock the window. 

“What is that??”

Oh shit. Her heart dropped. She had given absolutely no thought at all to the fact that she wasn’t alone when the lights went out. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

“It’s called a Patronus charm,” she replied with a shaky voice, “it keeps the darkness at bay, in more ways than one.”

“It’s quite beautiful. An interesting choice, the wolf.”

“Ah, we don’t get to choose our Patronuses, they are unique to each witch or wizard. They take their shapes based on personality and life experiences. The Patronus is a guardian, a defensive spell. It’s very difficult to conjure, there are many witches and wizards who are never able to conjure a corporeal Patronus. For a very long time I couldn’t cast one properly, it didn’t take on a shape until… something in my life changed.”

“Defensive? Did you feel as though you needed to protect yourself?”

“Not from you, if that’s what you’re asking. It’s not you that scares me,” she admitted softly. 

A slightly amused look crossed Loki’s face.

“Lavender, are you afraid of the dark?”

She gave a soft sigh.

“Not in the way that you might think. I fear the darkness because I _ am _ the darkness.”

She sat down next to him and pulled her long hair away from her neck and collarbone, exposing the deep, silvery purple scars given to her by Fenrir Greyback. She wasn’t usually so forthcoming, and despite all evidence to the contrary, she had the strange sensation that she could trust him. However, she kept her eyes averted, as it was always hard to tell her story. 

“I was bitten when I was young, during the second Wizarding War. It’s a miracle I survived, although I did not value my life for the years that followed. It took a great deal of time to come to terms with my affliction, and learn to live with it. I still struggle with it. People like me aren’t exactly accepted in the world that I come from. We’re feared and rejected; our affliction can become quite ugly.”

Sitting there in the dark in the soft glow of her Patronus, Lavender felt very vulnerable. Having said more than she normally ever would, she took a deep breath and steeled herself for whatever was coming next, be it silence or more questions. She stole a glance up at Loki, and was surprised to find him regarding her with a curious intensity. On most faces she found shock, pity, or even disgust when she revealed that side of herself, but she felt none of that from his gaze.

“So, you’re a.. werewolf?”

“I prefer the term lycan, but yes, you are correct.”

“I see nothing ugly about you, Lavender. You are an exquisite creature.”

Slender fingers gently traced the scars that she had never let anyone else touch. She shivered and her heartbeat stuttered, and she surprised herself by not pulling away. Since being bitten all those years ago, she had not let anyone get so close, too afraid of rejection and pain. She hadn’t realized just how much she missed the tender touch of another person, and now she craved more. She placed her hand over his and let her eyes flutter closed as a contented sigh escaped her lips. 

“Lavender…”

Her eyes snapped open, pupils blown wide. It was heaven to hear someone say her name that way, and she hesitated only a moment before she surrendered to the shiver going down her spine. She tossed away every care and every boundary and crashed her lips to his. It was a euphoric feeling to be wanted, and for the very first time in so many years, Lavender did not go to bed alone or afraid. 


End file.
